Three people from foreign countries have filed a lawsuit demanding compensation from the government, claiming that they have been repeatedly questioned by police officers on the basis of their race, skin color, nationality, etc., claiming that this constitutes discrimination and violates the Constitution. The case was filed in the Tokyo District Court.
The suit was filed by three foreign-born men living in Tokyo and Aichi prefectures, and they held a press conference in Tokyo on the 29th with their attorneys.
According to the complaint, the three people were repeatedly questioned during their daily lives in Japan, had their belongings searched, and were told by a police officer that it was unusual to see foreigners driving. about it.
The three people are demanding compensation of more than 3 million yen per person from the national government, Tokyo metropolitan government, and Aichi prefecture, claiming that the treatment is ``discriminatory based on race and violates the constitution.''
A manual for young police officers, obtained by the defense team and believed to have been created by the Aichi Prefectural Police Headquarters, states, ``If a person is clearly a foreigner at first glance and does not speak Japanese, they will always be accused of some kind of illegal activity.'' We have a strong belief that we will pursue the suspect thoroughly and conduct an inspection of his belongings.''
Job questioning or interrogation that selects a person based on race, skin color, nationality, etc. is called ``racial profiling,'' and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommends that countries formulate guidelines to prevent it. This has become an international issue.
One of the plaintiffs, Hoshi Edo Zain (26), who has Japanese nationality and Pakistani parents, said, ``I have been cooperating because I think it is important to maintain public order, but when it comes to not just one incident but 10 or more... I started to have doubts," he said.
Tomoko Urashiro, an attorney representing her, said, ``I want this to be an opportunity for society to think about racial profiling.''
A representative from the National Police Agency said, ``We are aware of the report, but we have not received the complaint, so we will refrain from commenting.''